My Native Heart
As a child growing up between Virginia and North Carolina, I was often told of our Native American ancestry on my mother’s (Ponds) side of the family. Interestingly enough, I recently found out that I may also have similar roots on my father’s (Elks) side. For the most part, the evidence of my cultural heritage came from my mother’s account, my good fortune to inherit a skin-type which was tolerate of the sun, and my almond-shaped brown eyes – a trait I share with many of my maternal cousins. Beyond these simple truths, the link to my past has been a bit of a mystery to me.
Over the years, I have often wondered why I can never be satisfied with benign, homogenous experiences or life. Just as a plant leans toward the sun, I lean towards people and experiences that are more exotic than my day-to-day reality. Now looking back over my life, I can see the thread that connects me to my native roots as well as my lifelong affinity for diversity. Within me there has always been an undeniable voice guiding me – manifesting itself in subtle ways. It has fostered my desire to be as close to the natural world as possible. It is why I feel compelled to eat and live off the land. It is why I am always nourished by an outing on the river or a walk through the woods. It has been apparent in my love of rural life, cultural heritage, genuine people, and authentic places. This voice was the seed from which my indigenous heart emerged.
Having grown up without the benefit of a Native American orientation, I understand what it is like to wonder about one’s cultural identity and where you fit in the world around you. I recognize that for some of us the limited cultural resources of our heritage present a challenge in our quest to discover our true essence and origin. From this very personal viewpoint, I have evolved into a heart-felt preservationist who believes our various cultural perspectives/places should all be valued pieces of our collective American story.
While on the surface I may simply appear to be a white woman, my heritage and my story are much more colorful. I believe that my cultural heritage and my native heart are the reasons why I am most content when I am …“close to the land.”
Carolina Carol
*This is a version of a story I recently wrote for the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s blog~
CLOSE TO THE LAND 